Over the last week, nearly every team in the Atlantic Division has been adding key pieces to their roster for the 2026-2027 season. During that time, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has been extremely quiet.
That all changed shortly before the 2026 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, New York. Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported shortly before the draft that Sweeney was in advanced talks to acquire JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth. As the draft began, Gavin McKenna was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the first overall pick, the trade details came out. Boston's first-round pick on Friday night and Florida's 2028 first-round pick, top 10 protected, is going to Utah for Peterka.
Bruins acquire JJ Peterka from the Mammoth
Going into the off-season, there were multiple needs that Sweeney and the Bruins had. At the top of the list a goal-scoring wing. Acquiring Peterka addresses that need likely and teh top-6. This past season, for Utah, he had 25 goals and 47 points for a Mammoth team that made the Western Conference Playoffs. He averaged just under 16 minutes a night.
Peterka spent three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before going to Utah last offseason in a trade that sent Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan to Western New York. He averaged 22 goals a season with Buffalo over three years.
By acquiring Peterka, that leaves the future of Viktor Arvidsson in doubt in Boston, with free agency beginning on Wednesday, July 1, at noon. Arvidsson shinned this past season in Boston with 25 goals, while solidifying the second line with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittlestadt, which was one of the most productive second lines in the NHL.
This is the first move this offseason, and truth be told, it wasn't surprising to see the first-round pick used, leaving the Black and Gold without a pick.
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